


Tactility

by rainpuddles



Category: Wild Adapter
Genre: Community: springkink, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-04
Updated: 2010-03-04
Packaged: 2017-10-07 17:15:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/67305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainpuddles/pseuds/rainpuddles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Kubota touches Tokitoh. :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tactility

**Author's Note:**

> A biiit of swearing? Written for [](http://www.livejournal.com/users/springkink/profile)[**springkink**](http://www.livejournal.com/users/springkink/) for the prompt _['public displays of affection - I can't believe you did that!'](http://community.livejournal.com/springkink/830184.html)_. Much love goes to [](http://ankari.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**ankari**](http://ankari.dreamwidth.org/) for betaing!

Kubota's sense of touch had always played a big role in his life. When he was a kid, people would ignore him and treat him as if he wasn't there, not even bothering to direct a glance at him. More often than not, he ended up questioning his own existence. He didn't dare to touch other people -- not because he thought he would be reprimanded, but because a small part of him was secretly afraid they would still refuse to acknowledge him and this would prove his suspicions were right.

As years went by and Kubota grew older, he was able to understand that he was, in fact, _tangible_. However, the barrier he had inadvertently set up around himself remained at least until the moment he picked up that stray cat.

Cats love attention, and this one made a point of proving it with its loud meowling whenever it spotted Kubota on his way back from school. It would rub against his legs until the boy gave in and picked it up in his arms. And when he scratched lightly under its chin and behind its ears, it would melt into a puddle of purrs.

And that's how it all started. From the stray cat to the neighbor's dog to a delicate butterfly to another human being. As he started becoming more comfortable with taction, he discovered that he didn't like human contact all that much. It didn't bother or make him uncomfortable, but he came to realize that most of the people who touched him only did it because they wanted something from him. He could easily count on the fingers of one hand the people whose touch he was okay with: Kasai, Kou, Komiya...

And now, Tokitoh.

When it came to the last two, especially, he had gone out of his way to find opportunities to touch them. It wasn't hard with Komiya, because while he would never complain or pull back; Kubota resting his head on his lap, cupping his face, only caused Komiya to open his eyes wide in surprise. He would occasionally blush or stutter, but it was clear that he didn't mind -- even if he rarely initiated contact himself.

Tokitoh, on the other hand, was very hard to read. At first Kubota wouldn't touch him at all. He wanted to, but Tokitoh's body language, his words, would tell him not to. Seeing him bent forward on the floor, shaking with pain as he clutched his bad hand, made Kubota think of a cornered, wounded cat. A cat who kept hissing sharply as it arched its back up to seem more threatening. Someone who absolutely did not want to be touched.

But then he understood that Tokitoh was not afraid of him - he just didn't want to hurt him. This only made Kubota, who didn't fear him either, want to touch him more.

And when he finally did, when Tokitoh didn't flinch back but closed his eyes and _leaned into it_, it somehow felt as if everything had fallen back into place.

Of course, more often than not, Tokitoh would growl and complain because he was playing a video game or doing the laundry and Kubota's attentions distracted him. But there were other times when Tokitoh would wake up all covered in sweat and shaking like a leaf; and if Kubota wasn't already holding him, he would instinctively cling to him, burrow his face in Kubota's chest until he was able to fall asleep again.

And so, in the vast darkness of those nights Kubota would often think of Tokitoh as a lifesaver, the only truth in an ocean of nothingness. Just having him gave him a sense of being and as long as he didn't let go of Tokitoh, he would be okay...  


*****

  
Kubota blinked up at the loudspeaker as their stop was announced. Tokitoh usually had a hard time keeping awake on trains when he wasn't by himself, but now he was almost drooling on him.

"Tokitoh, it's time," he whispered, brushing a few strands of hair from his face. The other boy muttered something incomprehensible in response and shifted closer.

Kubota sighed, and tried once more, "To~ki~toh~." This time, he also ran a finger down Tokitoh's neck, which only caused him to shiver.

More than a little amused, he started trailing upwards again as soon as he reached the base of Tokitoh's neck. Slowly, touching him with only the tip of his index finger, he took a deviation in his jawline all the way to his chin.

Tokitoh made a very low sound in the back of his throat, a sound that reminded Kubota far too much of the stray cat's purring. He shifted in his seat, and Kubota shifted too, trying to get a better angle. He wrapped his free arm over Tokitoh's shoulders pulling him forward over his chest, and nuzzled his ear lightly. He breathed in Tokitoh's scent.

Still caressing under his chin, Kubota murmured, "Tokitoh, it's our stop." And then, deliberately, he traced the helix with the tip of his tongue.

"W-W-W-WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Tokitoh bolted awake, flushing red and covering his ear with one hand.

"It's our stop," Kubota repeated in a deadpan tone.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU JUST--!" Tokitoh looked around. "AND IN FRONT OF ALL THESE PEOPLE!"

The other passengers hadn't been paying attention up until that moment, but now they exchanged glances and distanced themselves away from the couple.

"Look, the train stopped. If we don't hurry up..."

Tokitoh grabbed Kubota's wrist and dragged him out of the train. "Why do you always do these things?"

"You wouldn't wake up."

"You are such a goddamn pervert!" His feet stomped on the concrete, but his grip on Kubota's wrist remained tight.

"Yes, something like that." Kubota smiled, letting himself be hauled.  


*****

  
... Or maybe it was the other way around. Maybe as long as Tokitoh didn't let go of him, everything would be okay.


End file.
